Frozen
by SolidGoldHeart
Summary: Becoming cold and frozen to happiness, Maddie conteplates why living is so important. Thinking she's got nothing left to live for, will a young man change her mind and melt her frozen heart? ExM fic
1. Ice cold

Maddie couldn't sleep so she decided to take a walk. A long walk to clear her mind. She couldn't take the yelling anymore or the berating about divorce that her Mom and step dad were arguing about. It was tearing her apart. She walked out of her room silently and snuck downstairs. She opened the door softly and left. She didn't even look back. What was the point?

Maddie shivered and began walking along the trail. Realizing she should've brought a jacket, Maddie felt like running back into her home and grabbing one but since she had no intentions of going back, Maddie trudged on. Kicking up some leaves, Maddie sighed. She looked at the bright yellow moon and the dark contrast of the sky against the stars. It was beautiful, plain beautiful. And here she was not enjoying it, because of her family life. Because of the way her parents were treating each other, and blaming it on her.

After a few minutes of walking, Maddie decided to sit on a stray fallen tree and take a break. A break from her life. She jumped onto the log and crossed her legs while putting her face in her hands. Why, she thought. Why me? With all the good things in the world, why did she always attract the drama. Why?

Maddie sniffled. She couldn't take it anymore. The emotional bruises Maddie had carried throughout her life were too much for her. They were mentally crushing her heart, making her weak inside. Unable to trust. Unable to want to trust.

She felt numb all over. She couldn't feel anything, and she was okay with that. As long as no one found out. Here she was alone. She could be the real Maddie, she didn't have to hide her real self when it came to being alone. Maddie's head sunk lower in her hands and she tried with all her might to stifle the cry that was coming. But she couldn't hold back reality any longer.

At first it was a soft cry, silent and unable to be heard, but it continued into a noticeable cry of guilt. A cry of shame and anger for who she was. She hated who she was. No different than being, dead, she thought.

Maddie whipped the tears from her face and recomposed herself. Now was the time to be the 'fake Maddie' again, she thought while getting up. The one who everyone loved and thought that she was so happy.

Wrong.

No one loved her. Yeah, at the Tipton, sure, they said they loved her like a sister, but she knew that it was a lie. They only felt bad for her because she had to stay at the Tipton all of the time when her parents were fighting. Empathy. She hated that word. It was a foul and coward-like word. It was fake. All of it was fake.

And here Maddie was, sulking like a loser. A pathetic loser that no one loved.

She looked down as she walked towards her house and stopped. Why go back, she thought. No one will care if I'm gone. They won't even notice. Even if I was dead they wouldn't care. No one would.

She walked north until the late hours of the night. After the first few minutes of leaving her home, everything became unfamiliar. The street names, the homes, the environment. She didn't even feel like she was in Boston anymore. She didn't even feel alive anymore.

She was nothing. She didn't care.

Nothing, non-existent. She never really did exist, you know. It was all a lie, a pretend joke that everyone had played on her. Maddie was furious. How could they lie to me, she thought. All of her friends and 'family' were all liers. They didn't want anything to do with Maddie. Maddie didn't blame them

She didn't want anything to do with herself either.

Maddie shivered again. The wind had picked up through the blackness of the night. It almost felt like miniature needles prickling her skin. Maddie laughed at the thought of that. She was being punished. Sure, she thought, gritting her teeth as the wind pierced her skin. I deserve this. I'm a horrible person, so why shouldn't I be punished?

Maddie started to cry again, stronger than before. As her tears streaked down her face they burnt her skin from the wind carrying through the night. She looked up. The snow began to fall. It was snowing.

Maddie used to love the snow. When she was a child she would make little snow angles out of the snow by her apartments. She could vaguely remember her real father taking pictures of her laughing and giggling like all children were supposed to be. Then they would make silly snowmen out of the left over snow and dress them up. That was when everything was perfect. But now, now nothing is perfect. Everything is wrong.

And she could never find the pictures of her and her dad that day. They were all destroyed. Everything was destroyed.

When her father left.

Shivers ran through her body. The temperature was starting to drop, but Maddie didn't realize it. She couldn't even know where she was. But for some reason, she kept walking. Maybe it was to keep warm, or maybe it was so she could get as far away as possible. So no one would ever find her.

And no one would ever know.


	2. Black night

Maddie looked up into to the black sky, watching the flakes fall on her face, burning her nose from the coldness. She checked her watch

1:30 am

Maddie tried to breathe in deeply but pain hissed at her lungs as she tried to suck in the air. Her asthma kicked in. Maddie bent over and coughed until she was shaking, and it wasn't from the cold.

The tears flowed once again. But not for self pity or deep sorrow. She was afraid.

Now she was really alone. And in danger.

Maddie tried to blink tears out of her eyes, but they felt frozen to her face. Clinging on, not wanting to let go. Maddie moved her hand to wipe them away but when she lifted her hand to her face, she couldn't feel her fingers touch her skin.

They were numb. Just like her feelings. And in some ironic way, Maddie also wanted it that way. Maybe if she died here tonight, it wouldn't hurt. It wouldn't hurt as much as her life had. And no one would lie to her. No one would say it's okay, you'll survive. She knew she wouldn't make it.

And yet, Maddie still felt like there was some reason to walk further. Just a little further and she'd be happy and die there. But not here. No, she wasn't meant to fall here. She had to go further, just a little.

So Maddie trudged on.

Thirty minutes past and Maddie had lost all feelings in her lower regions of her legs. She couldn't even tell she was walking until she looked down and saw her feet moving forward. Yet inch by inch she moved on. The snow was really pounding now, and with Maddie and her asthma, she knew that she wouldn't make it through the night. It was almost four inches deep and each step Maddie took, her tennis shoes and pant legs were soaked with melted snow.

Several times Maddie had fallen, smashing her body on the sidewalk or alley, cutting herself several times. But since her hands were frozen, she couldn't feel anything. Nothing. No emotions, no feelings. And she couldn't think straight. All she knew, was that she had to walk on.

Walk just a little further.

Ten minutes and the wind picked up. Maddie was fighting to stay awake. She had to. She had to make it to where she needed to go. And then, then she could rest for eternity. She had to stay up.

She thought about a song her father used to sing to her, just before bed. Oh how Maddie had wished her father was singing it to her. But she had no father with her.

No one was with her.

Maddie tried to sing the song. She couldn't sing over the blasts of the wind so she tried to sing even louder.

"_If I could take your hands my child, I'd hold you tight."_ Maddie sang out loud to the night, knowing that no one was hearing her. In fact, her ears were so swollen by the cold, she couldn't even hear herself. But she sang as she inched forward. She was going no more than a foot every twenty seconds. But she felt that if she sang, it would keep her awake, and she would have the strength to go on.

"_I'd solve all your problems, and kiss you goodnight."_ Maddie screamed over the howling of the wind, losing her voice at once. She bent over and started to hack again, sucking in the air but no oxygen transition was made. Maddie grabbed some snow of the ground and tried to eat it, hoping it would stop her from choking on the air. It helped out but Maddie knew she couldn't sing anymore. But she had to get were she was going. She walked on.

It felt like hours were passing, but Maddie couldn't read what time it was, her vision was completely blurred. She was still humming the song, but she couldn't tell if it was her or the wind hitting against her ears. Her lips had turned blue as long as her fingers and she'd given up trying to remain focused on the sidewalk and direction she was going. For all she knew, she was walking in circles for hours. But then it happened.

Maddie fell. She tried to get up like the other times but she didn't have the energy. She tried to crawl on the snow, but when she did this, her pants got completely soaked. Maddie's tears filled the night as the pain was immense each inch she crawled.

She soon hit something hard. It smashed down and dumped garbage all over the ground. Maddie had enough consciousness to know it was a garbage can. But after Maddie hit it, she rolled in the snow. Trying to get up and failed Maddie hit the snow with her fists.

Loser, she thought. She was a loser. Her whole life she was a loser. She didn't make it. Why did she even try. She had lost. She didn't make it.

She had failed.

Maddie laid on the ground, the falling snow covering her shivering body. Maddie started to wheeze uncontrollably. She was dying. Maddie blinked twice and looked into the sky. The stars were even brighter than before…and then suddenly, the sky disappeared. There was nothing. Nothing but a black night. A black empty night filled with lies and pain.

Lights turned on in the Apartment windows. A shadowed man walked out of his home, noticing the unusual noise of his garbage cans falling down. He grabbed a flashlight and his robe and walked outside into the bitter cold. Shining the light towards the garbage, he saw a motionless figure lying on the ground. He walked closer to the curb. In closer inspection, it looked as if someone had drowned right in front of his home. The clothes on the figure were soaked and there were several bruises over the body. The Man knelt down and tried to check the figures pulse, but as he turned the body over, he gasped and dropped his flashlight.

"Oh my…" was all the man could say. It was a woman. A woman he knew very well. The man uncovered the women from the drift who was half way buried in the storm, and lifted her up with strain. Not knowing whether she was alive or dead, the man quickly walked towards his home, praying she was alive. As soon as he got in the home with the women in his arms, he shut the door to the bitter cold of the darkness of the night.

But he couldn't shut out all of the darkness that the woman had encountered that night.

At least not yet.


	3. Eminate the heat

Pain.

All she could feel was pain.

Maddie awoke abruptly, eye's squinted and looked around. Everything was a blurred image. Especially in the darkness of the early mourning. All she could feel was the woolen blanket wrapped around her tightly and feel the heat emanating from some where around her. Not to mention the enormous headache she had and the bruises all over her body.

She couldn't see anything she recognized, even if she did have correct vision at the time. She knew there was a woolen blanket around her, and she was sitting alone on a soft couch or something; both of which were not hers. As a matter of fact, she looked at herself and realized, she wasn't even wearing the clothes that she was wearing the night before.

The night she'd almost died.

Maddie suddenly froze. She heard some foot steps in the other room, it sounded like they were coming towards her. Maddie quickly ducked under the woolen blanket, hoping the person wouldn't realize Maddie was up.

Creaking his way through the door, the man turned to look at Maddie and noticed her feet were exposed and not covered from the warm blanket he had given her. Walking his way towards the couch to fix it, he could hear her breathing increase rapidly.

Maddie could see the shadow of the figure coming closer, she was practically gasping for breath,

Thinking she'd been having a bad dream, he started to pull off the covers from Maddie when…

"GET OFF OF ME!" Maddie hollered while kicking the strange figure in the stomach. She threw off the blanket from her and tried to run towards the door while the Man was motionless on the coffee table grabbing his stomach. Unfortunately Maddie had tripped on something soft from the ground and fallen face first on the fake hardwood floor in the front room.

Maddie's head pounded even more than before. She grasped her head with both hands and curled up into the fetal position and cried profusely.

"Get away from me now!" Maddie hollered at the top of her lungs "I swear I'll scream so loud if you come any closer, I'll…"

"Miss Maddie, what is wrong with you!" the man hissed while leaned over holding his stomach in pain.

Maddie hesitated and stopped crying as loud. She dared to peak between her fingers and get a good look of who was holding her in his home or wherever she was.

How did he know her name?

But just before she got a good look, she started to get dizzy again. She felt faint and all of the color from her skin was gone, she was as white as a sheet.

Maddie gritted her teeth once more and allowed the blackness to come once more. She hoped this was a dream, whatever it was. As soon as she started to feel faint and started to fall towards the ground, the Man grabbed her from behind so she wouldn't fall on the floor.

"Maddie! Come on, It's me Esteban! Maddie? Maddie?" Esteban cried out as he held Maddie towards him.

"Wha…" Was all Maddie could whisper as she blacked out once again. She couldn't even remember what the man had said last. But for some strange reason, she had an image of a familiar bellboy smiling at her planted in her mind just before everything went black once again.

Esteban winced and checked Maddie's pulse again, like he'd been doing every ten minutes since she passed out outside his home.

Her heart beat was normal fortunately.

But her heart alone was a disaster.

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Maddie awoke again, but this time her headache was a little bit better, even though she did hit her head against the ground. She squinted her eyes and tried to adjust to the light that was shining through the blinds. Now she was in a different part of the house, at least she'd hoped she was still in the same house. She looked around uncomfortably and viewed the environment that surrounded her while throwing off the covers.

Mostly everything in the room looked like a basic guys room. Although she had to admit, it wasn't as messy as she would of thought it would be. In fact it was quite organized, Maddie noted, even though her eyesight was a little bit blurry still. But for once she could clearly see what time it was by looking at her watch.

2:30pm

Maddie sat up and rubbed her forehead and hissed. There must have been a huge bruise on her face when she'd fallen in the front room. She looked at her arms and noted the bruises she'd gotten last night in the storm and rubbed them. They weren't as bad as the one on her head, but they hurt nonetheless. She also noted that her arm was bandaged up in a sort of sling fashion. Then, looking at her wrist, she noticed that there was a paper bracelet around her wrist. It read 'Maddie Fitzpatrick, ER'

She'd been to the Emergency room?

Maddie shuffled around and moved to the left of the bed so she'd be more comfortable, adjusting her sling slowly. But when she turned her head to the right to fix her arm, she couldn't ignore the noticeable presence of someone sitting in the right shadowed corner of the room, even if she couldn't see the person.

"Ok," Maddie hesitated "I know you there. Let me just tell you that I don't know you and I don't know how you know me or what you've done to me but…"

"Maddie" Esteban interrupted "Maddie, please listen to me, it is me, Esteban."

Maddie squinted and looked closer to the figure who was sitting in the dark. It could be him, she thought, but why didn't it sound like him. She touched her ears squirmed in pain. Her ears were inflamed with infection, probably from the cold. She immediately threw her head to the pillow and started to whimper softly.

"Maddie, are you all right, I thought they checked everything, are your ears alright?" Esteban said worriedly walking towards Maddie's bedside and kneeling down.

"Esteban" Maddie mumbled softly, tears forming in her eyes "Wha…what happened last night, what are…huh?"

"Well" Esteban said softly "I woke up at about 2:00 am and checked outside, hearing my garbage cans falling down. That is where I found you. I took you inside and called the police. Apparently they said you had just blacked out from the cold and they took you to the ER and fixed up your arm." Esteban spat out angrily while kicking the side of the bed. "They just told me to watch your temperature and keep you warm…can you believe that! You could have died!"

Maddie looked up slightly and noted Esteban for the first time. He was wearing a black T-shirt with an old pair of wrinkly jeans and some socks. His eyes were completely black underneath due to lack of sleep and stress. He was also still grasping his stomach from her kick she'd done to him earlier. Now Maddie felt horrible. Now she'd imposed on one of her only friends and made him feel bad and also physically hurting him. She started to cry.

"I'm s..sorry Esteban…I didn't" Maddie cried out hugged the pillow "I'm sorry…"

"Maddie, no" Esteban said sadly while hugging Maddie closely "It's not your fault…you didn't do this to yourself. You didn't know" Maddie cried louder and buried herself into Esteban's shoulder.

"It's all my fault Esteban, I'm such a loser, I'm nothing" Maddie sobbed burrowing her self into Esteban, shaking and holding Esteban closer.

"No Maddie" Esteban firmly stated while holding her tightly " You are not nothing. You are everything and more"

Esteban held her tighter and Maddie held on, the tears soaking Esteban's shirt. They held each other for quite a while, Esteban not caring that he had skipped his shift at the Tipton.

This was more important.

Much more important.


	4. Reflection

Maddie wiped her eyes carefully with her hand and looked up at Esteban, trying to read his expression, but she couldn't read his expression. She couldn't even see his face.

His face was buried into Maddie's shoulder.

"Es..Esteban? I didn't…mean…to make you sad" Maddie cringed slightly while touching Esteban's neck softly. Esteban looked at Maddie in slight anger but softened his look when Maddie almost started to cry again.

"Maddie" Esteban firmly stated looking into Maddie's face with care "You could of died, what where you thinking? That you could just walk around Boston in the middle of a storm and not kill yourself?" Esteban was now holding Maddie's cheek softly.

Maddie straightened up and recomposed herself, brushing her insecurities out of the way. She was supposed to be strong. After all, it was just her best friend Esteban, and they'd only known each other for a few years.

"Well…I…Why should you care?" Maddie sputtered, knowing right after that it was a pretty stupid comment "I mean, it's just that…my parents…". Esteban tensed up and let go of Maddie and got up.

"Maddie" Esteban said silently while looking into his reflection from the mirror on his side door "Look at you. You are my friend. You are smart and intelligent. You are also a beautiful and wonderfully nice person. I care for you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Yeah, a little late for that…" Maddie whispered depressingly soft.

"A little late?" Esteban exploded "A little late indeed! Are you telling me you stayed out there on purpose, just so you would get hurt!" Esteban was fuming right now. He'd never known that his best friend Maddie would've acted like this before, never.

Maddie stood up and looked at Esteban squarely in the face "Yeah, I did, okay? I would've gotten hurt anyways, so it doesn't matter." Maddie sat down on the bed and turned around, facing the wall. Tears were streaking down her face once again.

Esteban sat beside Maddie and put his hand on her shoulder "Maddie" he whispered "I know your parents aren't exactly the best but…"

"But what, Esteban? You feel bad for me, is that it?" Maddie poured out, turning to Esteban in furry but stopped motionless when she saw something she'd never seen before in here life.

Esteban's tears were slowly running down his face.

"Maddie" Esteban said, choking up a little "I know how you feel. I left my country for a new beginning. To find myself. I also left to lose myself, like you have."

Maddie coughed softly and looked into the shimmering eyes of Esteban "But the revolution…that's why…"

"Oh, the revolution didn't matter Maddie, I could have stayed if I wanted to. I left because of my father, that's why."

"Did he make you leave?" Maddie questioned uncomfortably, trying to understand Esteban's story

"No. No one told me to leave. I left because my father was violent and cruel. I do respect him, but there are many things I dislike about him. I even tried to convince my mother that he was horrible, but she never gave up in him. After every night he came home drunk and raging, my mother would sit there and take the yelling…sometimes the beatings…we..we would all have to take it as…children...we…we never…had a" but Esteban froze up and buried his face in his hands. Maddie stayed transfigured at Esteban, knowing how he'd felt.

"You never had a real family" Maddie finished for him, wiping a tear from her cheek. Esteban looked up nodding and shook the tears from his eyes.

"I don't have a real family either." Maddie sighed depressingly, looking down at her bare feet. She suddenly felt a hand on her chin, and saw Esteban looking straight at her.

"I know." Esteban agreed "But when I came to this country, I knew it was more than a chance to find a better life, but maybe find people I could trust in again. Open your eyes Maddie! The Tipton is like a family to me. It's also like a family to you, don't you see?"

"All I see" Maddie answered grimly "Is a bunch of people who feel sorry for me and don't know what I'm going through, that's what I see."

Esteban brushed Maddie's hair out of her eyes and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes" he answered "They don't know how you feel" Esteban grabbed Maddie's hand "But I do."

Maddie rubbed her eyes and nodded slowly

"Maddie" Esteban continued "You need to understand that I will always be there for you, no matter what. If you need me you can come over anytime, you know where I live, and you are welcome to stay at anytime. But our friends at the Tipton are also our friends too. They may not know us, or how we feel, but at least they try. They try, and at least it's better than nothing."

Maddie looked down slowly, feeling stupid. Extremely stupid. She'd complained about her parents fighting all the time but…at least they didn't drink in front of her and yell and hurt her. And she did have friends that at least tried to help her. But still…

There were still many questions she still needed to ask.

"Esteban?" Maddie hesitated slowly while pulling on her sleeve "How…how did you get these clothes from my house?"

"Oh" Esteban swallowed "Well, when you were being checked into the ER, I decided to call your parents..."

"What?" Maddie questioned "But, how? How did you know my parents number?"

"Mr. Moesby gives us a list of all the hotel workers names and addresses every few months, remember?"

"Oh…" Maddie replied, now remembering "But, my parents stayed in the ER?"

Esteban kicked his feet together and looked back at Maddie "They, they gave me an extra pair of your clothes Maddie and…well…they had to go. They told one of the nurses to dress you up in the warm clothes and…um…"

Maddie looked up at Esteban and put her hand on his hand "Tell me the truth, please."

"They…" Esteban murmured "They said to hurry up and get you out of there, that…that they didn't have the money for you to…"

"Esteban" Maddie interrupted, now tearing slightly "Tell me what they said."

Esteban wiped a tear from his eye and blinked. He looked down and whispered "They said they didn't have the money for you to screw your life up and practically die for attention. They told the doctors they wouldn't pay so…"

"Sso?" Maddie questioned now crying profusely, leaning inwards.

"So...Maddie, it doesn't matter." Esteban summed up, trying to change the subject while wiping his eyes "I'm sure you're hungry, I made some soup and…"

Maddie squeezed Esteban's arm and cried "Tteell mme, puhlease…I neneed tto knoww."

Esteban hesitated and looked at the wall, trying to hold back his emotions "So…I told them I would pay." Esteban explained, tears forming around his eyes "I..I said I didn't mind, so…so your father…"

"Sstep faather" Maddie corrected, practically sobbing on Esteban's shoulder. Esteban changed positions so he was holding Maddie tightly, giving her emotional comfort.

"So your step father…" Esteban continued sadly, leaning his chin on Maddie's shoulder "Said you should just stay with me for a while, that you…didn't belong with him, seeming as I was so interested in 'bringing you up positively', seeing as how you came to my house and…" Maddie pulled away and covered her face with her hands and threw her head onto Esteban's pillow and hugged it tightly while sobbing even harder.

Esteban turned to Maddie and held her hand tightly. Maddie squeezed back. Esteban waited until Maddie was calm enough to talk and just sat there, holding her hand.

That's all Maddie needed at the time. Something to hold on to.

After a few moments, Esteban spoke up.

"Maddie, I'm sorry…I didn't…I'm sorry."

Maddie turned over on the bed and looked at Esteban who staring at her "So…" she quivered slowly "Now I guess you know the real Maddie, huh? Some one just to be tossed around. Not even my parents want me…"

Esteban froze and looked at Maddie

"Maddie Fitzpatrick!" Esteban cried out "Are you listening to yourself? You are one of the most amazingly amazing people I've ever met! Your parents are completely insane not to see that. I swear, on my name, that if your step father would have stayed just a few seconds longer, I would've practically torn his head off. You don't deserve that kind of talk. You are much more than…"

"Esteban" Maddie smiled slightly while quivering, tears still in her eyes. Esteban stopped raving and looked into the shining eyes of Maddie. Maddie leaned forward and wiped her tears off while burrowing her face into Esteban's chest. Esteban held her and laid the top of his chin on Maddie's head sighing. "Esteban" Maddie continued "I just…don't know how to do this, that's the problem." Maddie wiped an extra tear from her eye and sighed.

"Do what, Miss…I mean Maddie?" Esteban whispered softly

Maddie looked up while Esteban looked at Maddie, with a comforting smile

"To…live normally…I…just don't know if I can do it…"

"Maddie" Esteban murmured, holding Maddie tightly, rocking back and forth "I believe in you. If you can you do all the things you do on a regular basis, then I think you can do this."

Maddie looked into the mirror that was hanging on Esteban's side door and looked at her and Esteban's reflection.

"Do you think…I could do it?"

Esteban looked into the mirror and stared at the reflection of Maddie's eyes

"No Maddie…" Esteban concluded "I know you can do it."

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**Not finished yet…this is kinda like the intro to my story…it's gonna be a long long story of romance and faith. Very sad but it's gonna be happy sad in a little bit. R&R's**

**-SolidGoldHeart**


	5. Bruises, Burns, and Boldness

As soon as Maddie and Esteban calmed down from the 'episode' that they'd just experienced Maddie decided to take a nap to clear her mind. Also because she was emotionally stressed. Esteban gave Maddie some extra sheets and Maddie decided to sleep out on the couch. However, Esteban argued with Maddie until she decided to lay down in Esteban's bed, Esteban reasoning with her that it was much more comfortable than the couch.

Yet Esteban didn't want Maddie sleeping on the couch in the first place mostly because of…well…he didn't want Maddie to do anything stupid.

Because the couch was right next to the door. And outside the door was…the storm.

And after the emotional problems from last night to now, Esteban wasn't exactly sure how fragile her state was at the moment.

All he knew was that there were some things that she wasn't telling him.

He knew this for fact.

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When Esteban had taken Maddie to the hospital to get checked on, he'd nervously waited in the waiting room, praying she'd be alright. The few minutes before Maddie's parents arrived, the doctor's explained the conditions that Maddie had suffered:

She had bruises on her neck and face from the fall

She was on the verge of hypothermia

And her arm was badly sprained.

And all of these things were incidents from the fall, at least Esteban had thought so. That is, until Maddie's parents left, and Esteban was stuck with the bill and an unconscious Maddie.

The doctor asked Esteban to come into the office for just a moment to confirm some things about how he was going to pay for Maddie's treatment. The total was around 600 dollars, something Esteban didn't have at the time so he called his bank and took out a loan. But as he was put on hold by the bank teller, the doctor decided to talk to Esteban.

"Esteban" the doctor said nervously while clipping his pen against the desk "Do you, do you know what goes around at the Fitzpatrick home by chance?"

Esteban cleared his throat and looked up from the telephone call "I don't particularly know. But I do know that Maddie's a wonderful person. And sometimes…" Esteban looked down uncomfortably "Sometimes her parents don't seem to realize it…"

The doctor scratched his head and paused briefly. Then he pulled out some papers from Maddie's files.

"Esteban, I'm not exactly sure if it's legal to do this…but…you need to see something."

Esteban raised his eyes uncomfortably and reached for the papers. He put them in front of his view and began to read.

_Maddie's Profile:_

_Side effects: Hypothermia, Bruising around the left elbow bone, causing bad sprain on left arm, Bruises on the legs, arms, and neck/ face region,_

Esteban looked up confused "Yes…we've had this discussion…I know her situation…"

"No." The doctor sighed while pushing the papers closer to Esteban "Keep reading"

_A particularly large bruise on the back, from the tailbone above_

Esteban's hands started to shake slightly

_Cause: Hypothermia, sprain, and facial bruising caused by continuous falling and loss of consciousness in cold weather._

Esteban cleared his throat uncomfortably

_Second cause:_

Esteban froze. Frightened to read on. But he had to, he needed to know.

_Second cause: Bruises around neck arms and legs caused by an attacking force. Visible fist marks…_

Esteban's eyes started to water

_Definite hand prints above the shoulder_

His eyes darkened.

_2nd degree burns on the shoulder blades_

_A large Bruise on back shaped like…_

A tear streaked down his face

_Shaped like the back of a desk or large furniture object._

Esteban's hands were shaking with furry

_Cause, Abuse (not self induced)_

Esteban threw the paper down on the floor and started to shake uncontrollably. Covering his eyes Esteban tried not to weep, as he held his anger in.

He felt like throwing up.

He felt like doing something to Maddie's Dad. Something terrible.

Like ripping his head off.

But he couldn't. Esteban hung up his cell phone and looked at the doctor's eye's "Is it okay…if I pay later?" Esteban said hoarsely, coughing slightly. His throat swelling with anger and emotion.

"Of course" the doctor said sadly, picking the papers from the ground "Whenever you're ready, just come by"

"Thanks" Esteban spat out quickly, trying to sound normal, but his voice was angry felt and spiteful. "I have to go now"

And Esteban left and took Maddie. And he went home and watched her.

And that's all that was holding Esteban back from trying to tear off Maddie's father's head.

Maddie needed him now.

ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM

Maddie smiled as Esteban brought in the extra sheets for her to sleep in, thankful for someone like Esteban. Esteban sat down on the bed and carefully tucked Maddie in and grabbed her hand softly.

"Maddie?" Esteban asked while leaning against an extra pillow "Is there anything you need?"

Maddie squeezed Esteban's hand back tightly and shook her head. Esteban smiled back at her and got up from the bed and turned off the light "Well then have a good rest Miss Maddie" Esteban said, slightly defeated with the fact of Maddie not telling the truth "I will be in the other room if you need me." Esteban got up and closed the door to a crack, just enough to check on her once in a while to make sure she was doing okay.

Maddie sighed and turned over, still depressed about everything going on.

But at least someone was there for her. Esteban.

She closed her eyes and started to feel weary. Everything was impacting her so much, she could barely stay awake to even handle the stress. The worse part was…

She knew she wasn't only lying to Esteban about something's…

She was lying to herself.

She needed to tell Esteban the truth. About everything that was going on. Everything. Maddie needed to explain the truth and all of it. So she could get it out. Bravery was needed now then ever. And Maddie knew it was time to be bold. To tell the truth.

About the burns

And the bruises

Maddie turned over and sighed once more, with sleep on her mind. She was going to tell Esteban, right after her nap.

So he would know.

And they would both understand the truth.


	6. Frozen heart

**Sorry it took so long…here it is. Last chapter. Very Very Sad. I had to end it. It made me do it…sorry.**

"_Come on Maddie" Maddie's father said angrily "Where's my booze?" _

_Maddie started to tremble while hiding behind the couch_

"_Maddie…I won't hurt you…" Maddie's father smoothly talked while peaking behind the desk "Just tell me where my booze are…I know you hid them."_

_Maddie scrunched down even deeper in the back of the sofa and started to whimper_

"_MADELINE FITZPATRICK!!!! WHERE ARE THEY!!!!" Her step- father roared while throwing down the desk, smashing it to pieces. Maddie accidently let out a small scream, and soon covered her mouth._

_Her step dad heard this and soon pulled back the sofa, revealing Maddie's terrified figure. _

"_No…Please…anything…don't hurt me!" Maddie cried out while curling herself in the fetal position._

_Her step-dad raised his hand vigorously and grabbed Maddie's shoulder with the other "Don't touch my booze you pathetic skank!" He roared as his hand came down._

_Maddie cringed hoping the pain wouldn't be as bad as the other times. Just as he was about to make impact…_

"NOOO!!!" Maddie cried out, finally awakening from the nightmare, throwing the sheets off the bed, running out of the bedroom door.

Turning down the small hallway, Maddie found Esteban sitting on the couch watching something on the television. Maddie ran towards him and jumped on the couch, throwing herself into Esteban's shoulder, shaking feverously.

"Don't let him hurt me, please help me!" Maddie cried out while sobbing profusely. Esteban quickly turned of the television and held Maddie closely.

"Who don't you want to hurt you Maddie? What's wrong.?" Esteban said while comforting Maddie. Although he knew exactly what was wrong. But Maddie didn't move from her position, by now Esteban's shirt was soaked with tears.

"Maddie looked up at me" Esteban said quietly "What's wrong."

Maddie turned upwards glancing at Esteban's face, tears still in her eyes. Maybe it was time to tell him, after all, he was her best friend, and she did trust him.

"I…I…" she began timidly "had a dream about…my step dad…"

Maddie watched Esteban's reaction to this but for some reason his concerned expression hadn't changed.

"Did he hurt you Maddie?" Esteban asked, hoping she didn't catch on to what he knew.

Maddie turned softly to Esteban.

"He…he…does...I mean, in the nightmare he did!" Maddie said quickly, trying to cover up her mistake but she knew that Esteban had figured it out.

Maddie turned around silently and leaned against the side of the pillow.

Esteban put his chin against Maddie's back and held her comfortably, then pulled back when Maddie twitched from Esteban's touch.

"Maddie" He said solemly "You can't go on living like this…one day he might…he'll…he could kill you Maddie." Tears were in the corner of Esteban's eyes.

"I know." Maddie said while wiping the tears from her eyes, ruining her mascara "But I can't do anything…nothing…my mother."

"You don't need your mother's permission to call the police, Madeline."

Suddenly Maddie turned around quickly and stood in shock as her Mother was standing in the front door with a black eye, and several police men were at her side, helping her stand.

"MOM!" Maddie screamed as she ran up and hugged her Mother tightly, tears streaking down her face. Her Mother returned the hug, and for once, Maddie felt like she had meant it.

Esteban sat on the couch quietly and tried to remain motionless, his job was done. There was no reason to be here. He had done his deed.

"How did you find me? Where…why are you here?" Maddie questioned looking from the police officers to her Mother.

"We've been looking for you for days honey" Her Mother replied sadly " I just…I didn't know what to do. The police officers said they found a lead to where you were when they heard screaming from the house over here. I was bruised again by your step-father again and look…" Maddie's mother showed Maddie her wedding finger which for some reason it was bare "I've divorced him…it's over Maddie…"

Maddie shook her head in confusion, things were moving too fast. Did her Mother just say that she found a lead? What was going on? But her Mom…was divorced! Yes!

_It is time to go…_

_I did what I was supposed to…_

_I'm running out of time…_

_Now my life is through_

"Whoa, what are you saying?" Maddie said quickly while stepping back a few inches

_No longer am I here_

_I'm just a figure of mind_

_I will go now_

_Leave nothing behind_

"After you ran away in the storm…you were missing for days…the police…looked everywhere." Maddie's mother said while comforting Maddie, tears splattering everywhere.

_Confusion starts here_

_All things are gone_

_Was this all a mistake_

_Was I wrong?_

"Missing?" Maddie questioned in confusion while stepping back again" But my step dad…Esteban…" Maddie turned to look on the couch but when she turned her head to see Esteban…he was gone.

_It's all fake_

_I lied to myself_

_I needed time alone _

_All by myself_

Maddie took a double take of the room she was standing in. No longer was it a warm comforting room filled with happiness and Esteban's smiling face. Now all she could see was a broken down dump, burnt to the crisp. There were wires everywhere, a soiled mattress in the bedroom, and a barren stale couch in the middle of the front room. Nothing else but broken floor boards scattered across the dusty floors. Where was she? Was she dreaming?

_And now I'm lost_

_Is this what is real_

_I'd hate to ask_

_But I'll have to deal_

"Maddie, are you alright?" Her mother questioned while stepping closer to her daughter. Maddie looked at her mother and the police men in disgust and ran into the bedroom, frantically shutting the door and locking it.

"She's delusional" Maddie's mother was saying through the door while sending the police squad to open the door. Maddie's heart was pounding to the exact beat of the men outside trying to slam open the door. She looked into the shaking broken mirror hanging on the wooden door. What was going on?

_No longer am I here_

_I'm just a figure of mind_

_I will go now_

_Leave nothing behind_

Tears started to flow. Her clothes weren't the same ones she was wearing just a moment ago. They were the ones she wore when had left the house...when she ran away. She looked at her wrist. The hospital bracelet…was gone

_Confusion starts here_

_All things are gone_

_Was this all a mistake_

_Was I wrong?_

What had happened to her. Maddie suddenly felt funny…as if she'd been asleep the entire time…in a dream…nothing was real. Maybe something was wrong with her. Maybe she was going insane...but…why? Then she remembered. The few moments before she had left the house. What her parents were yelling about. Who she was talking to at the very time on her cell phone...

**Flash back:**

_Maddie threw her clothes down and shut the door angrily. As usual, her parents were fighting. Not only that but she'd been late for work and lost her paycheck somehow. Suddenly, without warning, a familiar tune started to play in her backpack and Maddie reached for it and answered her phone._

"_Hello?" Maddie answered_

"_Maddie, we need to talk." A familiar voice answered on the other line_

"_Mr. Moesby? You never call me, is something not okay?" Maddie asked worriedly while sitting on the bed._

"_Yes" Mr. Moesby repeated slowly and solemnly "Something…has…happened."_

_Maddie leaned in instinctively "What…happened…"_

"_remember the fire that happened yesterday near the Boston shopping center?"_

_Maddie swallowed "Yes?"_

"_It hit some very large apartment buildings and…"_

"_and?...what happened?_

_Silence_

"_Mr. Moesby…what happened…"_

"_A fellow employee has been…has…"_

_Tears were heard on both sides of the conversation. Maddie's heart wrenched._

"_was it…"Maddie asked, not being able to finish the sentence, terrified to find the answer._

"_Yes…" Moesby finished, finally breaking down into sobs. Maddie hung up the phone and buried herself in the pillows of her bed_

_She over heard her parents fighting and was sick of her life. Nothing had ever worked out for her. Maddie's tears filled the night as she hugged her pillow even harder and cried until she was so tired and so depressed that she couldn't stay conscious and she fell asleep._

_(later)_

_It was late._

_Maddie had waken up._

_She couldn't remember why her face was streaked with tears._

_Then she heard her parents fighting…Maybe that's why she was crying…yeah_

_**Maddie couldn't sleep so she decided to take a walk. A long walk to clear her mind…**_

**_End of flash back._**

ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM

Maddie looked into the mirror even deeper and began to cry harder. Harder then the pounding of the door by the policemen.

She stared into the broken mirror…broken like her life.

_It's all fake_

_I lied to myself_

_I needed time alone _

_All by myself_

Maddie felt alone. But she knew that she wasn't alone…something…a certain someone was with her as of now. But she didn't feel like screaming anymore. All of her pain…she wasn't numb anymore…it was different.

_And now I'm not lost_

_This is what's real_

_I don't need to ask_

_And I'll have to deal_

The bedroom door exploded, glass shattering everywhere, knocking Maddie backwards. The policemen had finally gotten in. Glass was smashed all over Maddie, she was bleeding everywhere. Pain was screaming in her once again. Voices echoing all around her. A stretcher was brought in. Someone put a mask on Maddie's face but she couldn't breathe. She was fading…things were falling again.

"No!!! MY BABY!" Maddie heard her mother screaming while trying to get closer to her "She was BEHIND THE DOOR…HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW???!!?! GOD, SAVE MY BABY!!!!".

She felt someone compressing her chest with a machine. She felt shocks up and down her spine, the smell of burnt skin running through her nostrils. She could no longer feel her heart beat. Her breaths were shorter…she was fading fast.

Tears were down her face. Mixed along with blood and glass. She could see the sharp blade that had caused all of the problems, it was pierced directly in her heart. There was no way…she would survive.

Maddie looked at the glass that had severed her heart. She could actually see her reflection. But for some reason, her face wasn't terrified. Instead it had a look of understanding…as if it was supposed to happen this way. She looked even closer, although her vision was blurred, she could see a shadow of someone standing directly beside her. Someone she knew very well. Someone that had been for her all along.

When she had the bowling match and was terrified…he was there.

When she had wanted to prove a point to London about horoscopes…he was there

And all of the other times he had helped her…she knew she could always count on him.

Especially when she'd ran away from home in the storm…because of her parents…because the one person she knew that would always be there for her…he was still there for her, in her mind.

Even in spirit he was there for her.

He loved her always and it had taken all of this time to realize that he would be the one…the one to keep her going. Until she also…was gone.

A tear streaked down her bleeding face…her air supply was gone…she was choking on air, the medics were trying to put tubes in her mouth but the oxygen wasn't making conections with her brain.

Maddie tried at one last hope to mouth something out…to show the world the only thing that she could leave behind. Even though the tubes were in her mouth she struggled out the few syllables she needed to say to the reflection in the glass.

"I love…..yyouoo…"

Nothing. Nothing but the long sound of the long droning of the beep from the air machine that echoed through everyone's heart. The sound that meant she was brain dead. Madeline Fitzpatrick was gone.

All of her systems shut down. Maddie was almost dead. She lost all feelings in her body. Her consciousness was almost about to go. The last thing she saw before she slipped into utter darkness was the figure in the glass. The loving figure that was always there for her.

And it had whispered back to her the same three words that she had whispered to it.

"I…Love…you."

Maddie smiled.

And everything went black.

ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM

As the cops surrounded the burnt apartment, and the medics comforted Miss Fitzpatrick as they wheeled Maddie's body into the front, two cops, who were a little new at the job stayed behind.

"So…" One cop said timidly to the other "this is the saddest thing I've ever seen in my life…"

The female cop put her arm around her partner "Me too Jim, but I can't help getting rid of the Irony of it all."

Jim lifted his eyebrow "What do you mean, Misty?"

Misty walked over to the couch were she'd thrown down her clipboard and walked back to Jim with it at hand. "Well" Misty began "It looks as if Madeline here was going for a walk a few days ago in the snow feeling depressed, right?"

Jim nodded

"Well…in the same week, a young man had died here…from a fire."

"But I don't get it Misty…how is that ironic?" Jim questioned while looking over her notes. Misty sighed.

"Have you ever heard of theory of elements with love?"

Jim shook his head.

"Well." Misty began "My records state that these people knew each other…very well. They were like best friends…only more."

Jim cocked an eyebrow "What are you trying to get at.

"Well, in the theory of elements, when two things are supposed to be together the elements make sure of it…"

"Wait…" Jim interrupted waving his hands in the air "Are you trying to say that the fire that killed the man and the snow storm that brought this young lady here, who fell unconscious for days until we found her lying on that sofa talking to herself, were brought here together by the elements on purpose?"

Jim laughed and Misty sighed again "Yeah, well…it's just a theory…"

"Right…" Jim smiled "And next you'll say that he _melted _her _frozen _heart, right?"

Misty punched Jim softly in the shoulder "just get back to work"

Jim smiled once again and laughed, imitating Misty "Elements…"

ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM

Trillions of miles away, in the farthest regions of the skies, a couple was watching this incident unfold.

"You know, Maddie" Esteban smiled while grasping Maddie's hand "I think I'd have to agree with Misty on this one."

Maddie smiled and placed a soft kiss on Esteban's forehead and sighed "You know" she smiled while brushing a lock of brown hair out of his perfect face "I think I'd have to agree with her too."

End

**ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM- ExM**

**Sorry it took a while…but I needed to finish this. It just didn't work any other way. But you gotta admit…this was…wow. Anywho, R&R as soon as you get back from grabbing that box of tissues.**

**-solidgoldheart**


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